Silhouette Enigma : Resurrection of Canas
by Blazing Kusanagi
Summary: Canas is still alive...but the process in which he was revived is unknown even to himself... Twenty years have passed since the battle and he comes face to face with his son.
1. The Ressurection

Chapter 1: The Resurrection

………….Hmm?

Who am I…?

What am I…?

Nothing comes to my mind at the moment… All that I recall is a snowstorm… Something happened to me during that catastrophe, something terrible…something that cannot be expressed in words. Wait…I recollect that I was trying to prevent the snowstorm…..with someone…someone was assisting me…was it…Lavender? Wait….who was this Lavender...? My name….. What is my name…..? It is…or was…Canas…. Yes…that is my name….Canas….. Canas Niime, the third son of the….Mountain Hermit Agatha Niime…. Yes…I am descended from a lineage of magicians, known as the Niime Clan. Wait…I….died while attempting to protect the villagers from the blizzard…does that signify that…I'm in the afterlife….? I must verify my current location...

I opened my eyes…. It was snowing… I was leaning on a grave…one with a tombstone marked as follows:

HERE LIES CANAS NIIME

SCHOLAR, SORCERER, AND HERO

MAY HE REST IN PEACE

My wife's grave was adjacent to mine…

"Impossible, I'm still…of this world!…. How can it be…," I wondered…

I examined my clothes…my robe and cape were ripped and torn in many places….an exceptionally deep gash was across my chest…but there was no wound under it… My monocle was cracked…I removed the eyepiece… Under my arm was a book of Nosferatu… The wintry air was quite strong…I was in Illia no doubt… The place of my apparent demise…

"I'm alive!" I exclaimed as I spread out my arms and embraced the world…

I felt a sudden uneasiness as I thought, 'I am Canas Niime…. But what am I….? I cannot be human….if I'm resurrected that is… Am I….an undead being!'

Soon, I noticed an enigmatic man in a dark emerald-colored cloak. It would seem that he was glaring at me, but his eyes were veiled by the shadow cast by his hood. He suddenly turned his back on me and walked away… I recognized that man…it was…

'Brammimond! What is he doing here!' I thought, 'Is he the one who resurrected me!'

I was too fatigued to pursue the Legendary Warrior of the Silencing Darkness. I struggled to stand up… As I turned, I saw my old hut…I rarely stayed in the abode, since I was on my many travels, but my wife and mother had raised our son in that dwelling.

I walked into the shelter.

"Mother? Hugh?" I called.

No answer came… It would seem that they had left. The most likely solution was that my mother had returned to the mountains with my son.

I looked through the rooms. The house was most certainly deserted…..

'Hmm…my library, Many of my books were ripped and possessed a hue of yellow… They were surprisingly in terrible condition…

"How peculiar," I wondered, "I always ensure that my tomes are in good quality… Here's another Nosferatu, also a handful of Fluxes…a Luna as well… Hmm… I believe **that** book will prove to be useful…"

I revealed a hidden safe that was concealed behind a tome called "Ancestry of the Niimes". I took out a chest key and opened the lock. Inside the safe were my most prized possessions: a Fenrir spell, a Light Rune, a Recover Staff, an Elixir, a Fimbulvetr spell, a Rune Sword, the Gespenst spell, which was one of my rarest tomes, and…….a pendant with the portrait of my family….

'If only I had used this spell, Gespenst…,' I thought, 'I may have been able to protect my family, but…no…I underestimated the blizzard...I didn't believe it would be worth casting this spell...at the time...'

I could not remove my eyes off the picture…my smiling wife Lavender, my elderly mother Niime, and my infant son…Hugh… Tears came out of my eyes.

'Hugh….,' I thought, 'Hugh was always so frightened when I cast my spells…perhaps he fears the darkness even now...'

"This house… My son and surely my wife will not live in this dwelling any longer… There are no more reasons for its existence…..any longer…," I admitted, "If this house stays erect, it will be proof of my inability to be a decent father and husband…"

I took out a torch, but just before I ignited it, I thought, 'Wait…knowledge should not be wasted…'

I chanted, "Misahci Seldne Sihttixe Otehti Wallaisse Linuelo Hllehsiht Nismitci Ymparte Diovakal Sihllepssi Tsacineht Yrrasec Ensitaht Llaerotsdna Raepparet Nenaciyl Nohcihwin Inoisne Midsuoi Retsym, Abyss!"

I summoned a void out of thin air…one by one I telekinetically cast my books into the chasm… This spell summoned a mysterious dimension that only I had access to…

"There…that should do it…," I said as I closed the portal. My once full library was completely barren.

Then I left my house and threw the torch at what I once called "home"… It was set ablaze immediately… The raging inferno was quite strong…the snow was not intense enough to affect the flame… I wiped another tear…

'For whatever reason I was resurrected, there must have been a purpose… I must discover the truth…'


	2. Hugh, My Beloved Son

Ch. 2: Hugh…My Beloved Son…

'Hmm…where to start…,' I thought.

As I left my burning residence, I glanced at my garments… My robes were still torn in several places….

'I would prefer to not look like a barbarian who had recently returned from a war…' I thought.

Therefore, I summoned the Abyss and telekinetically extracted a Hammerne Staff… An exceedingly rare staff that possesses the ability to return objects, mainly weapons, to a state before they were destroyed. Simply put, it is similar to time restoration… No matter how greatly the damage is inflicted, this staff is still capable of reverting it back to its previous form. Unfortunately, many magicians have tried to manipulate this staff to lengthen human life spans, but the complexity of the human soul's labyrinth makes it impossible. This staff will only affect the inanimate… As the staff became luminous, the sacred energy was absorbed into my attire and my books…the threads of my robe and cape began sewing themselves together and the fissures in my monocle disappeared… Now my tomes appeared as if they had just been written recently. I pulled out a map from my satchel to ascertain my current whereabouts. My residence was in close proximity to the mountains of Illia… So, that meant that if I headed south, I would reach Sacae… The plains of Sacae…I have not been there for a long time… But this is no time for past reminiscences… There were several mountains, but in between them, there was a path…that would take me to the plains. The trip was quite troublesome, as the path was jagged and uneven... Interestingly, several bushes grew on the sides of the rocky path…

'Isn't that intriguing,' I thought, 'How are these plants capable of growth in a rock-strewn area like this?"

Suddenly, a whirling hand-axe came soaring toward me… I was surprised, but I managed to evade it in time…

"What in the-" I managed to say.

A bandit jumped out of the bushes with another axe in hand. I quickly analyzed his attributes…

'Distance covered by leaping out of the bushes: approximately 2 yards, divided by the time it took for him to achieve this: 8.36 seconds, plus the added weight of the superfluous armor in non vital areas: appears to weigh at least 20 pounds…,' I calculated, 'He appears to be quite strong, but according to my formula, he does not seem to be a dexterous type to me…yes, he most definitely is not adept in the speed category… One magical-bolt will suffice…'

"Well, well… Whaddawe have here, anotha victim?" said the bandit, "Come out, boys!"

Several archers and other axe-men appeared from the bushes… Apparently, the one that attacked me was their leader…

"Give us all that ya have, and we'll give you a quick, painless death…," said the bandit leader, "If not…Heh…you'se gonna wish you was dead…afta we're through withya…"

He appeared to be quite lacking in the intelligence…and grammar…department as well….

"Seiras Revdaes Kirtsdnad Nuorgred Nursediht Aaht Erehpsk Radt Naiga, Flux!" I chanted before they had a chance to react.

A small black spark began surging in my hand, and grew into a giant dark sphere that sunk into the shadows. The bandit-leader frantically searched for the dark orb, which materialized…below him… As the Flux struck the brigand, the bandit realized that the dark energies were too much for him. He was engulfed by the darkness and disintegrated…not long after…

"My, my…was that a little bit too much?" I said with a small smile…that was filled with malice…

Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me, "So you killed Nargat, the legendary bandit of Illia, huh? You should soften up, there's nothing left of him… This is just great…now I have no corpse to give to the bounty hunter's guild… Well, at least I was able to finish off his goons… No point in taking their carcasses, no point at all…"

I turned to the where his lackeys had appeared… The other bandits, they were gone! Instead, I saw several piles of burning ash and a man who appeared to be in his early twenties. He possessed long dark-violet hair, just like mine…except for the difference in length. He seemed to be an indolent, prideful, and somewhat stubborn type, but he possessed a rather unpleasant scowl on his face. A small flame enveloped his right hand which was clenched in a fist… He was a magician of the elements… When he saw my face, he froze as if he had seen a ghost…

"F-father?!" he asked me, "Are you my father?"

Then I heard him turn around and mutter, "No….that's not possible….my old man's dead…"

"Young man…I do not know who you are, nor does it matter much to me… But, may I have the honor of your name?" I asked.

"My name is Hugh…," said the young man, "You know what? You have a striking resemblance with my father…"

Impossible...I had a son named Hugh, who resembled this man who stood before me…and had recently become……two years old….

"Is that right, Hugh?" I managed to say, "Well, would you mind revealing the name of your father to me?"

"His name is…wait…you're gonna have to…." he began…

I calmly stated, "Please answer the question first, and do not stray off topic… You may regret it…"

"His name is Canas, Canas Niime…." said Hugh uneasily, "he died around twenty years ago while protecting our family from a snowstorm."

My heart skipped several beats…This young man was my beloved son… But, I was dead…or…unconscious…for twenty years? How could this be? How is it possible that I had not aged at all? Since none of these questions can be answered at the moment, I decided that I should first understand how Hugh had matured…

"I recollect you saying that you were a bounty hunter, am I correct?" I asked

"Yeah, I guess… I'm also a mercenary, of sorts…," he answered, "Basically, I fight for anyone who offers me money."

Mon…ney? That is not what I had expected…

"You see," he continued, "With an adequate amount of money, you can get anything. I might not trust others, but I most definitely trust my money."

"Pardon me, but does your life revolve around money?" I asked.

"A rather absurd way of putting it, but yes… Some people say that I'm a real pain when it comes to money," said Hugh, "but I need to live off something you know… By the way, 300 gold for having me reveal my name, 500 gold for having me reveal my father's name, and another 500 gold for having me reveal my…occupation."

'How perfect, my son has become a Farina,' I thought as I handed him several coins…

"Heh, thanks for the cash, man! Boy, is this my day. You're one really nice guy… As gratitude, here's some advice…," smiled Hugh, "if you're low on money, you should look for **him**…"

He showed me…a wanted poster. A staggering amount of money, 1,000,000,000 gold would be awarded if this man was caught, dead or alive. I examined the poster to see…

"Jaffar!" I exclaimed… The curse of age had affected him…a small, graying goatee was on his chin and slight wrinkles were under his eyes…but it was most definitely Jaffar.

"So, you've heard of that assassin, huh?" said Hugh, "Jaffar…also known as the Angel of Death, wanted dead or alive. He's one damned bastard… They say he was a member of that Black Fang organization twenty years ago and had killed thousands of people. There are many rumors that he betrayed the Black Fang, but…it can't be true, you know. I mean, that guy lived to kill, he was a killing machine! Hundreds of bounty hunters are after him… I would kill him if I could, but…I can't…at my current state… Besides, no one knows where he is anyway…the Western Isles? Bern? He could be in the Dread Isle for all I care…"

'You're wrong, Hugh…,' I thought…, 'Jaffar is no longer the man he once was… Why can you not understand?' but I remained silent…since I severely doubted that he would believe me…

"Hey, you know what? Are you in need of a bodyguard? Then I know an exceedingly dashing mercenary who has served Etrurian nobles and the renowned son of Marquess Pherae, Roy himself! You wanna know who he is? Well, he's standing right in front of you!" he arrogantly boasted as he pointed to himself…

Roy…where have I heard that name before… I cannot recall…wait! I remember…it finally comes to my mind…he was the son of Marquess Eliwood Pherae…

"Well, are you going to hire me or not?" he asked.

"I'd rather not…rely on a mediocre magician…," I muttered…now that we had met, I wanted to keep the gap between us as distant as possible…for his own good…

"Who are you calling mediocre?" he exclaimed, "I'm very talented, you know… My skill in magic is as great as my handsome…ness… Oh, come on, you can hire me for only 10000 gold!" he exclaimed.

"Only 10000 gold?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow…, "Please forgive me, but I must decline…"

"What?!" exclaimed Hugh, "…Well, I guess I could compensate with 8000..., please, I really need the money…"

"….."

"Nothing to say? Well, 6000 gold will still work…" he pleaded.

"..…"

"Urg…fine!" Hugh seemed to be very distressed…, "I'm getting desperate here… One last chance…5000 gold! I'll be useful, I swear! So please just hire me! Don't be selfish, you should help ones in need you know…"

"You do not seem to have much potential…," I said.

"Man, did you not just see what happened to the other bandits?" he yelled.

"You are overly egotistical," I scoffed, "You are no better than average, are you not? You were able to slay the other bandits by casting Elfire, the sacred inferno, but these bandits obviously possess poor resilience to magic spells. Even though I am currently a Druid, my magical capabilities allow me to master not only dark sorcery, but basic anima spells as well… You call yourself a "talented magician"? I would have obliterated them to the same extent with a mere Fire tome…in half the time… In fact, you seem to lack even the simplest skills. There is clearly no point in hiring a mercenary if the client is stronger…"

"Argh! I quit! Fine, have it your way…and I thought you were such a caring person, too. Ha! What a kind man you are!" yelled Hugh.

But just as I turned around, Hugh said, "You know…at first you appeared to be such a calm, compassionate, and polite person…but now you seem scornful…, it's as if you're putting up a guise now to hide your true feelings…as if you want to make sure I don't accompany you at all costs… You're hiding something from me aren't you…?"

"That's preposterous…," I retorted.

"I'm going to continue beseeching unless you hire me or tell me why you are trying to be rid of me…," Hugh obstinately stated.

I gave up…silently I handed him a pouch containing 5000 gold…

"Hey, I was right about you… Heh heh…you really are a nice guy!" laughed Hugh "'Cuz I got the money, I'll do my job well. You can count on me!"

"Shall we be going?" I asked as I the gazed at the setting sun which radiantly shone over the mountains of Illia.

"Yes, let's," said….son.


	3. The Plains of Sacae

Ch. 3: The Great Plains of Sacae

"So, where are we going?" asked Hugh.

"Well… I suppose that I do not know…" I answered.

"What? You don't know?"

"You see, I'm on a journey for… knowledge," I said. The true reason for this journey was none of his concern.

"Dammit, I can't believe I'm traveling with a drifter… Geez, where are we going to travel to, all of Elibe?"

"That would be quite preferable, including Valor, the Dread Isle…," I replied. I remembered when I was lodging in a village of Badon, the Port City, and met Lord Eliwood…who also happened to be searching for a ship to sail to the ill-omened island. That incident changed my life forever…

"Oh St. Elimine!" complained Hugh, "Begging to be hired by a lunatic for merely 5000 gold is the greatest mistake I made in my life!"

I turned around and smiled, "Did you say something?"

Hugh frantically reacted, "No, never! Ididn'tsayanythingatall! Forgive me! Uhh…What was your name again?"

I realized that I hadn't told him my name, "It's Ca…rybdis…"

"Carybdis, huh?" said Hugh, "That's a bit odd sounding, but it's a good name… Have you been to Sacae before, Carybdis?" asked Hugh.

"Ah…the plains of Sacae… How long has it been since I've viewed the vast oceans of grass…," I dreamily remarked as I recollected the past.

Hugh stared at me as if I was insane.

"Grass? Did you just say…Grass?!" said Hugh.

"Sacae's biome is considered to be "grassland", or "plains", is it not? I asked.

"Are you crazy? Where've you been man? You better see this…" said Hugh.

When we finally descended from the mountains, I knew what he meant… The plains of Sacae…were gone. There was nothing left of those "oceans" that I once saw, instead ashes and a barren wasteland was all that was left…

"Who…who did this?" I asked.

"Bern… Prince Zephiel suddenly attacked Sacae without warning…" said Hugh in a serious tone, "The nomads were killed, the clans were scattered if there were survivors, and flames engulfed what was once known as the plains… Banditry, pillaging, and larceny increased…significantly…," then he cheerfully added, "But it does have a positive result… The jobs given to us bounty hunters and mercenaries have gone off the roof!"

"That is a poor excuse for humor…," I sarcastically added…

I was worried about the fates of my companions so I asked, "Do you know what happened to Lady Lyndis Caelin Lorca and Rath Kutolah?"

"I've heard of Rath, the Kutolah tribe leader's son, but who's this Lyndis?" asked Hugh.

Then it hit me…Lyndis had abdicated the rule of Caelin to Ostia… It wasn't very surprising that he had not heard of Lady Lyn… She had returned to the plains with… Hmmm…was it Florina, or Rath…? Wait…wasn't she wed to Lord Eliwood or Lord Hector? Or was it Sir Kent? I cannot remember…

"Watch out!" yelled Hugh.

An arrow missed my head by a hair's breadth.

"You should be more careful, you idiot!" shouted Hugh.

Bandits…they never give up do they…

"Well, we've found ourselves in quite a predicament have we not?" I asked, "Bandits seem to be quite attracted to me…"

"How can you stay so calm in a situation like this?!" exclaimed Hugh, "Grr… I guess it can't be helped…"

Hugh took out an Elfire spell tome; I did likewise…and took out a tome that was titled, "Roland, the Champion of Lycia." Everyone, including Hugh fell to their heads...

"How can you be reading at a time like this?!" Hugh exclaimed.

"I believe it's time for some light reading…," I answered.

"Light?" Hugh dryly asked as he began chanting the incantations.

Several of the bandits underestimated the small fireball and simply attempted to block it, but regretted it when the ball of fire exploded into a giant flaming pillar of combustion.

"Congratulations," I said, "You have succeeded in enflaming an already exceedingly scorched area…"

Hugh was too focused in the battle to respond…

"Ah…might as well…," I took out a Flux tome and chanted, "Seiras Revdaes Kirtsdnad Nuorgred Nursediht Aaht Erehpsk Radt Naiga, Flux!"

Once again, I summoned the dark orb that sunk into the shadows…and well…all that was left of them were…a pile of cadavers…

"Ugh…," a voice cam from the pile. It appeared that one of the bandits had survived.

As he came out, I extracted a dagger from one of the corpses and held it at the survivor's neck. He was a youth…most likely he joined the bandits because he was in a need of money…

"You know perfectly well that you can't escape from us... If you leave us now, You will still have your head," I told the bandit.

"Run away? What an insult! That's the last thing I'll do…," the bandit said as he took something out from his pouch.

When I realized what it was, I was too late… I rapidly stabbed him, but he had already blown in the signal whistle to summon reinforcements…

The bandit's last words were, "Even as a bandit, I have my honor… I was born as a bandit; I will die as one…"

After I had removed my dagger, his helmet fell from his head, only to reveal a cascade of long flowing dark hair. I ultimately had a revelation that the bandit was in fact, a female…

"So," said Hugh, "even women have turned to banditry…"

I wordlessly took out an scroll as the reinforcements approached.

I began chanting, "Delliflu Febilli Wisrede Enylha Traeruo Yceno Tihfira Eppasi Dilliwu Oyhague Hetlae Dilliflufe Benacrono Hafodee Niruoyta Hatos Nevae Hegnipa Casesuh Tecalpyl Drawshtota Kacabe Mocelt Tabefoel Dedime Hetinella Fesahoh Wecitsu Jeforoirraw, Summon!"

"That's one long and complex incantation…" commented Hugh.

A mysterious light in the shape of a circular rune formed not too far away from me, then a huge pillar of light burst forth from the magic emblem. Not long after, the light dispersed…only to reveal…a Sacaen nomad. Yet, the nomad was luminous and phantasmal flames surrounded him…

"What is that thing?!" exclaimed a bandit.

"It is a phantom," I answered.

Hugh asked, "By phantom, you mean ghost right?"

I responded, "Yes, on my travels, I discovered this most peculiar scroll, which contains the secrets of the summoning arts. It allows me to temporarily resurrect a warrior who died in an area of close proximity to the location in which I cast the spell. Thus it is preferable that I cast this spell on a battlefield… Although this nomad is in spirit form, he is still capable of spectral attacks… I wanted an axe-wielding soldier, but he will do… "

The nomad silently strung his bow and began shooting arrows at the terrified bandits. The nomad was a skilled marksman, it was over in a few seconds. Hugh was astounded and tried to touch the apparition. Instantly it dissolved into nothingness…

"What the heck?!" Hugh cried…

"Oh, I forgot to warn you…," I said, "They disappear if you touch them…"

"Next time say that earlier…you almost scared me to death!" yelled Hugh, "But how did you know that the phantom wouldn't stab you in the back? I mean, it could have attacked you!"

"This spell does not revive soldiers with an evil heart; it only revives uncorrupted warriors of justice."

"Yeah…yeah…whatever…," said Hugh…, "Wait, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" I asked, but I would soon regret that I even bothered.

"Can you…even if its temporarily…resurrect my mom and dad?" asked Hugh.


	4. Spoils of Battle

Ch. 4: Spoils of Battle

"Well...ummm…that is…," I managed to say…

This was an even bigger dilemma than the one I was in before… I absolutely could not reveal my true identity to my son…

"Hey, at least say something!" exclaimed Hugh.

I closed my eyes and answered, "Well, I do not cast this spell, unless I'm in the most urgent situations, due to the fact that…Wha-what in the seventh plane of hell are you doing?!" I exclaimed as I opened them.

Hugh had ignored me and was rummaging through the bandit's corpses…

"Hmm…not much gold in here… Ah-ha! Eureka! 1000 gold, not bad… Probably pillaged from villagers… Ah well, it's not a juicy amount but, good enough for at least a month… Hmm…I bet I could sell these weapons…they're mostly iron, but… Wait…a Killer Axe! Boy, is this my day!"

"You should know, that is not a Killer Axe, in fact it is a Devil Axe," I informed him, "A cursed weapon that spills the blood of its own wielder if he or she is extremely unfortunate…"

Startled, Hugh immediately flung it into the air and burned it to a crisp. Only ashes were left of the demonic axe. Without a word, Hugh returned to the cadavers.

"How can you bring yourself as low as to steal from carcasses?" I demanded.

"Times have changed, Pal," said Hugh, "The only ones left on Elibe are the survivors of the war. We have to do anything to survive…"

"Hmm…you may have a point," I admitted as I examined the cadavers…, "Well, as a mage, let me ask you this… Have you heard of Agatha Griselda Niime?"

Hugh froze and inquired, "How do you know Gran– I mean **her** first and middle name?"

"Is it a sin for me to know people's names?" I asked. I admit that although she was my mother, even I addressed her as "Niime", when not calling her mother, or mommy, or something else that implied that she was the one who brought me to this earth.

"Well… I'm…an acquaintance of her, and I'm one of the few people who know her actual name…," said Hugh, "Hey, don't look at me like that!

"It is rather hard for me to believe, but the fact that you said "Gran" and the visage that you made when quickly changing the word to "her" leads me to believe that you are her grandson…but that you refuse to acknowledge that fact," I remarked.

"No, she… Oh, all right…I won't deny it…she's my grandmother…," Hugh confessed, "You see, even though I am an elementalist mage, I come from an ancient lineage…or clan to be more precise…of elder sorcerers. The clan itself is known as the Niime. My grandma took more pride in her last name than her first and the fact that she was from the clan, led her to begin referring to herself as Niime. She became a magic celebrity…but the clan still remains in the shadows. She thinks she honored the Niimes as a representative, but she can't when such few people know about them… She considers Agatha Griselda to no longer be her name and she has totally discarded it…"

He turned to the cadaver of the female bandit who had called for allies and pointed out, "Hey Carybdis, there is a strange glowing red pendant on the…corpse with a split throat…"

I could barely restrain my astonishment…, "Th-That's a-a Talisman!"

"A Talisman? Where have I heard of those before…?" said Hugh.

"Please excuse me for saying this, but you call yourself a magician, and you aren't even aware on what a Talisman is?" I exclaimed, "Talismans are pendants with protective properties that absorb spiritual energy. Although it possesses strong potential, it can only drain a certain amount of energy, thus it cannot completely deflect spells, only weaken or subdue them. As you know, spells are merely your spiritual potential converted into elemental, archaic, or sacred magic…"

"Wait…wait…wait…," Hugh said, "I don't understand half the words you said… What do you mean by spiritual potential, anyway?"

"Forgive me, but you are rather…how should I say this…dim-witted, are you not?" I asked, "There are two forms of energy that can be utilized by humans: physical and spiritual. Physical energy of the body allows you to sprint across long distances and wield heavy weapons, and spiritual energy of the soul and mind enables you to cast the most devastating spells. In terms of the magic strength…that depends on your traits… Devotion to understanding enhances darkness and faithfulness to the unknowable strengthens light. Although nature magicians are often known as the "magicians of justice"…that is hardly the case when it comes to…certain magicians… Perseverance to your goals is what really stems into anima or nature magic."

By certain magicians I meant disgraces such as Aion the Owl of the Black Fang, the countless mages who became assassins and bandits, and the man standing before me…who uses magic as an excuse to acquire money…

"It is still quite baffling to me however…," I wondered, "this Talisman would not have been enough to stop my Flux spell… Unless…"

"Hey! What are you doing?!" yelled Hugh, "You pervert!!! Why are you running your finger down her body! Ugh! You scholars act moral, but deep down you are just a buncha corrupt perverts arncha!"

"Quiet, you scoundrel…," I muttered, "I was just ensuring that my hypothesis was correct…and it is..."

"What's your hypothesis, then?" Hugh shouted, "That the woman is dead?! My, my, what an accomplishment!"

"What goes on in your distorted and apparently nonexistent mind truly perplexes me more than the secrets of the heaven and the earth…," I dryly added, "Her skin is doused in Holy Water, an ointment that renders you nearly immune to magic… Unlike Talismans, Holy Water is similar to a repellent…it disperses the converted spiritual energy within the spells to a certain extent… It is more effective than Talismans, but it lasts temporarily… It was quite intriguing that someone could survive the effects of my Flux, few live to tell the tale of the instable flowing of the darkness…"

"Wow, you are truly smart aren't you, Carybdis?" asked Hugh.

"Well now, someone should attend the library more often should he not?" I answered.

I removed her Talisman and signal whistle, and extracted a two-thirds full vial containing Holy Water and three Vulneraries.

After ransacking through the cadavers, our "spoils of battle" resulted with…seven sets of three Vulneraries, two sets of three Elixirs, the signal whistle, the Talisman, three sets of three Antitoxins, four Torches, the two-thirds of Holy Water, three Mines, one set of fifteen Lockpicks, few Door Keys and Chest Keys, a Red Gem…well I believe I do not have to explain Hugh's reaction due to the fact that it is quite evident…., and various iron and few steel weapons.

"Heh, even for bandits, they're pretty loaded," laughed Hugh, "Hey what's that you're holding right there?!"

"Oh this?" I replied, "I found this in the thief's pocket…"

"Th-That's a Member Card! Give it to me!" exclaimed Hugh as he lunged at me with the intention of snatching the card away from my hand.

I calmly took out a book with one hand, held the card out of his reach with the other, stepped aside, and tripped him. Even on the ground, Hugh still was groping for the card.

"Ah…I have no problems handing it over to you," I assured him, "But, what is with this fervent craving for this mere card?"

"The Member Card, everyone wants it… It grants you access to Secret Shops that hold rare valuables, treasures, and other priceless stuff…," explained Hugh, "I can't wait to get my hands on them…"

"Is that right? Then this will prove to be quite useful will it not?" I said as I slipped it in my pocket.

"Whaaat! Do you enjoy tormenting me?" exclaimed Hugh.

"As we are traveling together, I do not truly consider it to be a probl–," I was cut off by…

"Halt! Who goes there?" yelled a booming voice.

It was an actual nomad, a female one in fact, not a phantom doppelganger like the one whom I had just summoned… Her eyes had a certain sternness and aloofness to them…where had I seen them before…?

"I, Sue of the Kutolah, demand that you answer!"

"Unfortunately for you, I don't have to answer," said Hugh, "Because I can tell you're not a Sacaen…"

"That is not true! I am a Sacaen! In my veins, flows the blood of Hanon herself!" exclaimed the nomad.

"Heh… The prideful Sacaen Nomads are known for never lying, right?" said Hugh.

"Of course!" yelled the nomad.

"You're not a Sacaen, cuz' you're lying to me!" Hugh laughed, "Everyone knows that the three main clans of Sacae, the Lorca (although they were wiped out around twenty years ago), the Kutolah, and…whatever the third was called… have become extinct…earlier, you called yourself a Kutolah, so therefore, it's quite obvious that you're lying…"

I expected the nomad to show a sign of anger, surprise, anxiousness, or hostility…instead she laughed…

"Even though the Bern armies laid siege on the Sacaean tribes," explained Sue, "we were not destroyed…we the survivors of the Kutolah are intent on resurrecting the Kutolah and we have been successful…though many of our people are gone, the Kutolah wolf still strives… Excuse me, but are you even paying attention?"

"Yes…yes…that's good to know," I answered as I was reading my book.

Hugh yawned, "So your point is that even though Bern had led a foray on you, you're still alive, right?"

"Exactly," answered Sue, "But you still have not answered me….who are you? You do not appear to be bandits or soldiers…"

"Ah…I'm a mercenary and he's a…scholar…I think," said Hugh.

I was too absorbed in my reading to respond… It was then she seemed to notice the bandits…

"Ah, bandits…you slew them? Well that was rather thoughtful of you…they have been causing us trouble for some time now….," said Sue.

"Wait…these shields…," gasped Hugh, "I didn't notice before…but these guys are soldiers!"

"Correct," said Sue, "After Bern was overcome, few of the soldiers were uncertain of what to do as they no longer possessed any meaning in life…thus they joined the bandits… Isn't it ironic that bandits and soldiers are now intermingling?"

"Have you heard of someone known as Rath?" I asked the nomad without meeting her eye contact, if you had guessed that I was still reading, you guessed right.

Suddenly, she leapt from her horse, grasped my robe, and asked, "What do you know about him, ANSWER ME!"

I brushed away her hand, "Your eyes share the stoic and impassive attributes of his… You are his daughter, am I correct?"


	5. The Heiress of the Kutolah

Ch. 5: The Heiress of the Kutolah

"Yes…I am," said Sue as she recoiled.

"I am merely an acquaintance of his…," I answered, "Please allow me to introduce myself…I am Carybdis. Rath and I once traveled together…" I realized my mistake and immediately added, "When I was a youth…and he was considerably older…by about twelve years."

In actuality, Rath was around seven to eight years younger than me… Rath would now be thirty-eight… The "twenty years have passed" phenomenon was quite difficult for me to accept…especially due to the fact that I apparently had not aged…

"Forgive me," apologized Sue, "I did not mean to sound hostile… It's just that…well his disappearance has caused me great pain…. It's not like me to be so rash…"

Rath, whereabouts unknown, eh? Knowing Rath, this was not too astonishing... He was known for silently appearing and disappearing like the wind…

Hugh tilted his head to one side and said, "Wait…don't I know you? Oh yeah! No wonder that name sounded so familiar… Sue, don't you remember me? It's me, Hugh! We met in Roy's army!"

"Hugh? Ah, if I recall correctly, you were the lecherous and avaricious magician who bargained with Lord Roy Pherae…," said Sue.

"Well, that's not exactly how I wanted to be remembered…," sighed Hugh.

"To be blunt you were not too bright either…," added Sue, "You were tricked by that child sorcerer called Ray into giving him the rare Nosfer…well, dark magic tome, had your money stolen by that female thief…I believe her name was Cath?"

"That does not come across me as a surprise…," I admitted.

"Hey, that little rogue gave me my money back!" exclaimed Hugh.

"Hard to believe, but I will take you for your word…," said Sue, "By the way, the third main clan of Sacae was the Djute…," explained Sue, "traitors who voluntarily allied themselves with Bern… By now, they are likely to have become mostly eradicated as well…"

"Why are you here anyway?" asked Hugh.

"I saw a radiant pillar of light and bursting into the sky…," replied Sue, "I thought it was a message from Father Sky and Mother Earth…You would not have anything to do with it would you?"

"Oh that…that was a summ…," answered Hugh…

Noticing his fatal error, I reluctantly but firmly stepped on my loose-lipped son's foot before he could finish… Hugh…please forgive me…

"Ow! What was that for?" exclaimed Hugh.

I ignored him and asked, "No…we were attracted by that same illumination…then we came across the bandits… You informed us that you were forming a Kutolah renaissance, am I correct? How many of you remain?"

Sue regrettably admitted, "Nineteen…far from the original population… At first there were only three of us Grandpa, Shin, and me… We were lucky to find other survivors… Few are gravely injured, but they will eventually be nursed back to health… But we have not given up hope…we will find more Kutolahs…"

"I'm not sure if I understand the situation entirely, but I perceive that Rath isn't one of the current survivors…," I noted.

"Well, as I said earlier…we are unaware of his current situation…he may be alive or dead…but the latter is more likely," acknowledged Sue, "Please forgive me for my hostility earlier… To make up for my actions, I will escort you to out tribe…what's left of it…at any rate…"

"We appreciate it," I answered, "We have been traveling for quite a while and it would be quite beneficial… You two go on ahead…I have some…business…to tend to."

When they had left, I unlocked the portal of the Abyss and cast our spoils into it…

When I had caught up, Hugh exclaimed, "Oh no! We forgot to…"

"Do not worry," I appeased him, "I assure you they are all in here…," I patted my satchel.

"You know what, Cary? The grass looks greener here?" said Hugh…

"The grass may have been burnt…" explained Sue, "but like the Kutolah they are reborn."

When we came across the Kutolah, I realized that the survivors were composed of gravely injured men, women, and children…

"Hmm…including you, I only make out sixteen…," I observed, "where are the rest?"

"Oh….my father, Shin, and Kaspar are most likely in the chief's tent…allow me to bring them…," said Sue as she dismounted from her horse.

"Shin…he's the quiet worrywart who always told you to stay in the rear, right?" asked Hugh.

Sue nodded. As she left, I noticed that the survivors were glaring at us with amalgamated expressions of alarm, anxiety, and hatred…

"My, my…I don't know how to say it, but we seem to be not wanted…," I remarked.

"No kidding…I can't make out what they're saying, but they obviously aren't fans of us…," said Hugh.

Sue came back with three figures…a tall and stout man, a rather frail looking youth, and the lattermost was obviously the chieftain…

"Hey Shin! Long time no…," before he could finish, one of the nomads, the brute, had shot an arrow that narrowly missed Hugh's head.

"Someone seems to possess an affinity of being cut off in the middle of speaking," I alluded.

"Whoa… What is your problem?" yelled Hugh.

"Kaspar! What is the meaning of this?" exclaimed the chieftain.

"I must attack all foes on sight, Chief Dayan," said Kaspar.

"They are not our enemies, Kaspar…I recognize one of them, he is our ally…the other…he does not seem to be an adversary," said the one who hadn't spoken yet…I guessed that he was this Shin.

"Still, they have intruded on our grounds!" exclaimed Kaspar.

"They are not intruders, they are our guests," said Sue.

"You trust them? They might be spies bent on destroying us!" said Kaspar.

"Sue has invited them as guests," said Dayan, "We absolutely cannot evict them…"

"We must dispose of them!" exclaimed Kaspar, "They are obviously an ill omen to us…"

"Ill omen, eh?" remarked Shin, "It's quite surprising that you believe in omens… I thought you were an atheist…"

"Of course, how can you believe in this Father Sky and Mother Earth, when they did nothing to stop the Bern soldiers from attacking us?!"

"Hold your tongue, Kaspar! How dare you question the divine entities!" exclaimed Sue.

"Curses!" Kaspar muttered as he angrily stomped away…

"Please pay Kaspar and his explosive nature no mind…," said Shin, "We rescued him from the very brink of death… He feels extremely insecure around outsiders… The atrocity done to the Kutolah is still haunting a few of us…"

"I see that your warriors are gravely injured…," I said, "I am capable of basic healing arts… Shall I be of assistance?"

"For a fee, of course," said Hugh.

"No, no charges necessary," I added.

Hugh grunted.

"We appreciate it…," said Sue, "Our healing herbs of Mother Earth were capable of healing minor wounds… But Father Sky's divine blessings will be quite beneficial…"

"Father Sky…Mother Earth… Geez is that all you care about?" asked Hugh.

One by one, I mended their wounds…then…

"Do not trust him!" exclaimed Kaspar who had returned, "He is merely doing this so you will believe in him! Then he will stab us in the back!"

"Cease this foolishness, Kaspar!" exclaimed Dayan, "Can you not see that he is being merciful?"

"Even if you are the renowned Silver Wolf and our clan leader, I cannot standby and watch as more of our kin pass on to the next world!" shouted Kaspar, "How can you trust them?! One is a rambunctious money-grubber, and the other is a scheming sorcerer!"

I guessed that he had overheard what Hugh had said…

"How dare you call him a schemer!" exclaimed one of the nomads.

"He is a dark magician, for heaven's sake! No doubt he is planning something behind that kind face… Evil magic is obviously used by evil spellcasters!"

"That is a common misconception…," I clarified, "the dark arts are merely archaic spells cast by elder mages… Their enigmatic properties often confused others into associating it with evil… This misapprehension often dies hard and slow…"

"You know what? Prove that you are worthy of being among us!" sneered Kaspar, "Show us your strength! Let's do this the old-fashioned way!"

"You mean a drinking contest?" asked Hugh.

"No, you buffoon… Sacaen wrestling!" snickered Kaspar as he rested his right elbow on a table.

"What's Sacaen wrestling?" asked a baffled Hugh.

"You have not heard of Sacaen wrestling?" I asked "It is a form of wrestling in which two opponents, usually facing each other across a table, rest their right or left elbows on the table and, placing their corresponding forearms upward and parallel, grip each other's hand… the objective being to force the opponent's arm down so that it touches the table."

"Oh you mean **arm** wrestling… Well, why not? I see no problems with that… Hah! This is the perfect opportunity to show how strong I am!" laughed Hugh…but as I expected he lost against the brute.

"Hah!" laughed Kaspar, "you magicians are all geeky wimps…"

"Kaspar! How dare you insult our saviors!" exclaimed a woman.

"Heh!" snorted Kaspar, "Now that their deed is done they may leave… Unless that other weakling wishes to challenge me…"

"Can we not settle this amicably?" I inquired.

"Pulling in the towel, huh?" asked Kaspar.

"As much as I want it to happen…it appears to be impossible… It's against my policy to use brute force…but…it appears I have no choice…," I muttered, "I fear that you will be humiliated that you are defeated by a 'weakling'… If I win, do you swear you will not hurl any more of your abusive language at us and will remain docile no matter how irritated you are?"

"Hah! It's a deal!" Kaspar chuckled, "It's not like I'll lose!"

We both sat on opposite sides of a table interlocked our right hands and firmly planted our elbows into the surface…

"Cary…win for my sake," said Hugh.

No longer than a few seconds had passed before Kaspar's arm slammed down on to the table. Yes…to everyone's surprise, it was I who emerged as victor.

"Ugh…I admit defeat…," said Kaspar, "Darn…I'll remember this… I'll…uh…go out for a walk… Yeah…a walk. But my comrades, do not forget that as long as they are here, no one is safe!" then he fled in mortification as fast as his broad legs could take him…he would return…but he would return humbly.

"He just has to be Kaspar till the end, huh?" asked Hugh, "Cary–"

"Would you stop calling me Cary?" I asked…being called a nickname of a pseudonym was…irritating.

"And would you stop cutting me off?" retorted Hugh, "Fine, but Carybdi…bleagh! Your name is too freakin' long! I'll call you Canas…your name kinda sounds like my dad's… You beefed up your arm using magic didn't you?"

I quietly whispered , "Stick with the Cary… And if you were an adequate magician, you would have been able to detect that there was no magical energy focused on my arm…"

"Then how did you beat that guy?" asked Hugh…, "Ah! That ring on your finger is an Energy Ring!"

"In fact, it is not… Do you not see the runes inscribed on it? It is a Guiding Ring, a sorcerous ring that greatly amplifies your magical potential…not physical strength… You wish to know how I defeated him? Tsk. Tsk. You'll find out soon enough," I smiled and wiggled my forefinger…and thought, 'This would not have been possible without your training…Bartholomew "Bartre" Guerrero…'


	6. Memories I: Wild Axefighter

Chapter 6: Memories I: Wild Axefighter

"Oi! Come here, punk!" yelled a voice.

I snapped back into reality as my eyes left my book. An axe-wielding brute wearing a metallic headband similar in appearance to a diadem and possessing a rather la…or overlarge nose was calling me. He was no doubt Bartholomew Guerrero, also known as the self-proclaimed "Bartre the Brave." He was known for being a rather dense man who lived to fight.

"W-What is it?" I asked.

The first two lines that would lead to a lasting friendship…

"What's with that get-up? Are you another one of those magic types?" he asked as he scratched his head.

"Err, well... I do dabble in the dark arts...," I answered.

"Dark arts? What's that?!" he asked with a curious expression not unlike that of a child learning his numbers.

"Ah, well it's quite interesting, really," I explained, "You see, there are several types of magic in this cosmos. Monks practice light magic, mages practice anima magic, and we shamans practice elder magic, which some call dark!"

"Nguuoooohhhh!" Bartre cried in agony while grasping his head.

"W-What's the matter?!" I asked frantically…

"Nnng. Hard words make my head hurt!" he exclaimed.

"I-I apologize. Did I use... hard words?" I asked. To be blunt, I did not believe that words such as "cosmos" and "practice" would be considered "hard."

"You callin' me stupid!?" Bartre angrily yelled.

I realized that I had offended him, "No, err, I never meant-- No."

"Right," he calmed down…slightly…and threw his axe on the ground, "Well, that's all right, then. I'm just going to punch that rock over there until my head feels better..."

"Righto. Have fun... I guess...," I answered uneasily and thought, 'He cures his headaches via the punching of boulders?! What an intriguing fellow…'

I slowly backed away as he repeatedly struck the rock… When I began reading, I noticed that he repeated this process for a few hours before it ceased and he lifted his weapon. As he began fighting again, I wondered what fueled him so…I had never seen someone devoted to battle as much as him.

"Hah, hah!" he laughed as he hewed his way through his enemies.

It was perplexing how such a firecracker would be best friends with the placid, silent Dorcas Sosieg. Several foes charged him at once, but Bartre grinned and swung his axe in a wide arc, slaying them.

"W-Wait! Spare my life! I-I have a family…," an injured enemy soldier yelled in terror as he lifted his hands and dropped his shield and lance…being the sole survivor, he found no more reason to fight.

Bartre laughed and planted his axe firmly into the ground and leaned on it, "Coward…but I respect your choice… Now outta my sight!"

The soldier scurried away…Bartre lifted his axe high into the air and struck the shield and cleaved it into two pieces, "Hah, hah! You break!"

Strangely, he did not seem to possess any bloodlust…he merely enjoyed swinging his axe. He was an honorable man, I admired that fact.

A few days later…

"So, it's you again, magic man," Bartre greeted me.

Magic man, what a bland nickname…but I did not find it offensive at all, and I rather liked his company, thus I still waved at him, "Why, hello there!"

"You read a lot of books, huh?" he noted, "What's that book there?"

"Oh, this one?" I pointed at the tome I was currently reading, "Yes... Well it's actually... a rather fascinating excursion into cryptopaleontology..."

Ah…cryptopaleontology…perhaps one of the most intriguing branches of paleontology… Paleontology itself is the study of the development of life on earth, evidence by disruptions caused by their influence such as fossils, ichnites, burrows, palynomorphs…etc… The primary economic importance of paleontology lies in the use of fossils to determine the age and nature of the rocks that contain them or the layers above or below. Ah, the petrified forms of the remains of ancient life absorbed my attention as the pinnacle of the whole tome… Cryptopaleontology, the hidden secrets of the bits and pieces of the unknowable…that are incomprehensible at the moment…many strived to solve their riddle, most notably the author of this digressional article. Unfortunately, I would be unable to relay, or pass on this information to my companion because…

"Stop!! Say no more!" Bartre wailed.

"Oh, right," I restrained myself from continuing.

"That was too close!" he exclaimed, "I don't care what kind of book it is!" then he curiously asked, "But you can kill people with that book, right?"

"Ah, no," I explained, "Actually, this is not a dark tome...," Flux and Luna would be a tome of darkness…the book I am currently reading would be a tome of zoology, as cryptopalentology roots from paleontology, which roots from zoology.

"What? Then what good is it on the battlefield?" he asked.

I had no reasonable answer to respond with, "Well, no good at all, I suppose."

"What?! That makes no sense! Why are you reading it then?" he jumped back bewildered.

"Why, for the thrill of new knowledge, I guess," was the best reply I could give, "Man lives for the joy of new ideas, doesn't he?"

Bartre scratched his head and thought for a moment, then responded, "Ummm...Uhh. I see. See, like, I try to eat all I can after a battle. And this is, like, the same thing, right?"

Every person has his or her desires, and Bartre's seemed to revolve around fighting and eating, "Yes, well...perhaps. I suppose."

Bartre gave out a hearty guffaw, "So that's...that's what you do, right? I like you, magic man! I hope you learn everything and stuff!"

"Well...I shall try. Err, thank you," I replied then asked, "Err…as a warrior you must be quite strong…have you fought many battles."

"Of course, and I've never lost a single one! …Except for that wench Ka…wait! What am I saying? Fine, do you want me to show you my abilities?"

"Ah…a demonstration…," I noted, "of your prowess in battle?"

Bartre boastfully sauntered toward a mercenary with short scarlet locks and hard, piercing eyes as sharp as icy daggers. Strangely this youth possessed a royal air about him.

"Ah! You!" Bartre yelled at the soldier-for-hire.

"…What?" the mercenary frostily responded.

"That gaze that misses nothing! That gait free of wasted effort!" Bartre exclaimed, "You are strong! And someday, we shall fight!"

"What are you talking about?" asked the callous mercenary, but the next thing he knew was that the brute was charging at him, axe in hand…

Few minutes later…the outcome…

"Fists, not words, right?" asked the mercenary while cracking his knuckles.

Bartre lying on the ground pleaded, "H-Hey! I know your type... Cool face and heart of fire! Men shouldn't be temper--uwwaoh! W-Wait! Whoaa! I-I said wait! Wait!"

The crimson-haired condottiere, whose name turned out to be Raven, had stepped aside thus evading the blow. After being provoked by Bartre who said that men live by the strength of their arms and talk with their fists, Raven let his **fists** do the talking…not literally… It would be quite fascinating if fists possessed the ability of verbal communication, but as they have no opening for mouths…it is impossible. Ah, I seem to be daydreaming… Back to the topic, it baffled me how such a giant of a man was so easily defeated by a youth who was not a day over nineteen…

'It would be best for me to not involve myself in such a situation…,' I thought as I furtively strode away to a safe distance nowhere near in proximity to where I had been stading.

I heard Bartre mutter, "You sellsword…brat…"

Raven raised an eyebrow, "Sellsword, eh? I'd rather be a hireling than a helpless weakling who does not know his rightful place…such as yourself," and smote Bartre on the jaw, shortly followed by another strike…I believe it is called the ol' one…two?

Then Raven placidly lifted his steel broadsword and walked away.

As Raven left, I saw a mounted cleric approach… She possessed the same royal air and crimson hair as Raven, but she wore a kinder expression, in comparison to the hard-eyed mercenary. However, both appeared to be troubled and distraught. Her name was Priscilla, I believe.

"Please forgive my brother," she beseeched, "he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder…"

"Thwry behn ai canpth…," was all Bartre could say.

'What? Bartre can cast magic?' I thought, but then I realized that that he was not chanting the ancient language…that was all he could say with a broken jaw…

"But if you aggravate him once more, I cannot guarantee than you will escape unscathed…with you life…," warned Priscilla.

Bartre shuddered as Priscilla began praying…, "Oh Saint Elimine, praise be your graces. Please grant this humble mortal merely an inkling of your transcendent abilities to cure the wounded and cease the unfinished task of charity, Heal…"

A large, radiant orb materialized above our heads… Though it was composed of intangible energy, it had a strange crystalline nature. The orb vanished and reformed near Bartre, who absorbed it (unintentionally). Instantly his wounds were healed, but one thing wasn't…no, never would be cured…a dreadful curse known as "hurt pride".

Suddenly a thief leapt out of the bushes nearby, dagger in hand. As he tried to stab Priscilla, Bartre stood in his path. Bartre smiled as blood dripped from his arm.

"You shouldn't!" exclaimed Priscilla, "I just healed your wounds! You should rest and let your body become fully accustomed to the magical effects! Don't overdo–"

Bartre smiled and explained, "Sorry, miss. But to a warrior, there is no such thing as 'overdo'."

The thief jumped back to put some distance between him and his enemy. Then Bartre threw his Hand-Axe, causing the thief to evade the whirling blade of destruction, but it left our enemy open to attack…

"Seiras Revdaes Kirtsdnad Nuorgred Nusediht Aaht Erehpsk Radt Naiga, FLUX!" I chanted the incantations. My magical energy once again externalized in the form of the surging sphere of darkness… This spell lives up to its name, as the dark forces are instable and most difficult to control albeit very powerful… The thief appeared to be unaccustomed to fighting sorcerers, such as myself… After materializing below him, the dark orb extended into grasping shadow tentacles that constricted and engulfed our foe.

"That rascal was for me to kill!" exclaimed Bartre angrily exclaimed while pointing at the bloody mass which was once a thief.

"Allow me to clarify," I elucidated, "the thief may not be one to use brute force, but it's not likely that any of your hits would connect due to his dexterity. I had no choice but to intervene…"

Bartre sulked away, disgruntled.

I covered one of eyes with my right palm and asked, "Shall I scry for more enemies?"

"Hah! I need no tears from you!" yelled Bartre while turning his back on me.

"You are capable of scrying?" asked Priscilla.

"Yes, it's a rather basic dark-elemental tracking spell that all competent shamans should know… Although I do not need to make use an item such as a crystal ball or telescope… I believe Bartre thought I had meant 'crying.'"

Few weeks later…

"Hnnh? What's the matter, magic man?" asked Bartre, "You don't look so good..."

"Yes, well, I am a bit fatigued, actually," I admitted, "You know, scholars are not used to such strenuous activity."

"You're body turned to mush because you read too much, magic man," said Bartre.

'Mush…? No my body is made of flesh,' I thought, but answered, "Yes... I suppose that's one way of putting it."

Bartre cracked his knuckles (strong men seem to repeat this process quite often) and said, "Well then! I'll whip you into shape!"

I was already having trouble with Vaida, I must admit that this was the last thing I needed, "Ah, no! Please. Really, I don't think--"

Bartre struck his chest twice and said, "Don't worry about it! It's no bother for me! In exchange, you can just lend me one of those books!"

That was an answer that I had least expected, "A-A book?"

"Yeah. Maybe... a skinny one," Bartre said uneasily.

I was well…suspicious, "... Are you...going to...eat it?"

Bartre suddenly grew tense, "Are you calling me stupid!?"

It appeared that I had vexed him again and frantically answered, "No! Nothing of the sort!"

"Warriors must become strong!" he yelled as he lifted his axe.

"Ah...yes," Thank goodness he was not planning on eating it… Bartre possessed a greater appetite than Vaida's Umbriel… Thus my hypothesis was that because Umbriel enjoyed eating books, I believed Bartre would eat one too…or two…or three... Ahh…little did Vaida know that I carry two copies of each book… Or make that at least…two.

"My body is powerful, but your body has brains," said Bartre, "We have different paths, but we both fight bravely. We can help each other along our different paths."

I never expected a fighter's mind to be that complex…he wasn't just a belligerent but kind buffoon that I believed him to be. No, he was definitely more…, "Why...yes! You're probably right... Well, it seems I may have much to learn from you. I look forward to it..."

"Nnh. Yeah! But first, wait! Punch me as hard as you can!" he ordered.

"Um…are you sure?" I asked worriedly.

"Sure, I can handle it!" Bartre laughed.

"Uh…like this…?" I asked as I punched him.

Bartre howled in anguish and collapsed to the ground.

He cringed in pain saying, "Ow! Oh, St. Elimine! No, not there, you idiot! Never hit there! Ugh! Just aim a little…a little…. bit higher…"

"P-Please forgive me…you see, I am uh…unaccustomed to using my fists in combat…how about here?" I said frantically as I aimed for a higher destination for my fist to connect to…

"Ow! My nose! Ugh! You crushed my beautiful nose!" he exclaimed while grasping his protruding appendage, "Aim lower! But not as low as the…first strike…that would hurt…"

'Dealing with this man is going to be more troublesome than I thought,' as I prepared for another attack.

Few hours later…

"Yeah! Right there! Just right there! Punch me again and again and again!" yelled Bartre

'So this…is what it's like to be a child forced to fight against his will…ah…I am glad that I chose not to take the path of the pugilist…it is too arduous…for my tastes…,' I thought as sweat beaded on my face and drenched my robes…I wanted to strike where I had punched first (strangely, men seem to feel intense pain when struck in that area), to get this over with, but then I wouldn't be keeping my side of the bargain.

After that day, I had Priscilla heal my bloody knuckles….

We repeated this training for days…but soon Priscilla's healing was no longer necessary, as my knuckles became accustomed to this activity…

Several weeks later, in the aftermath of a battle…

"Thanks, magic man!" said Bartre.

"W-What for, Bartre?" I asked.

"That Secret Book you lent me…," he answered, "I had trouble reading it at first, but…soon I started understanding its strategies… Now my axe skills are greater than ever!"

"That's good to know. Earlier you informed me that you enjoyed eating…," I responded, "Here…you may find pleasure in this book also, it's called '1,000 Feasts of Etruria', a book of culinary arts."

"Agpth!!! What's kulni-whatever it's called?" Bartre asked.

"Ah…it means cooking…," I explained, "If I must be blunt, you should expand your vocabulary… Here…this is a Spelling Book, it might come in handy."

One morning in Ostia….

Mark the tactician appeared before us and said, "Everyone, we have but few days before our conflict with Nergal, and Ostia has generously provided us with 30,000 gold. We will mainly purchase weapons and spells, but if you are interested, we will test our skills in the arena. Do not bring any weapons with you, as the arena personnel with supply them, but do however bring some gold if you wish to gamble on the outcome of the battle… All warriors have to wager on themselves, however, so be absolutely certain that you won't regret your decision once entering..."

"Hah!" laughed Bartre whiled pointing at a small brooch on his sleeveless shirt, "You see this, magic man? With this badge, my victory is ensured!"

"Ah…," I inquired, "This is a Hero Crest, a rare insignia only bestowed upon to warriors who have proven their worth in battle, am I correct?"

"Absolutely right," said Bartre while taking out a quiver, "and I asked Wil to train me, now I can shoot arrows as well!"

Bartre seemed to have developed an immunity to "hard words."

We entered the town of Ostia…then we split into three groups…

Priscilla, Nino, Lucius, Pent, Nils, Priscilla, and I left for the Vendor.

"If you wish to register, follow me," said our guide. A majority of our allies decided to fight in the arena.

Hector was the first of our merry band to stand in line… Hawkeye seemed interested in the outside world…he wished to broaden his horizon of how men fight outside of Nabata… Heath and Guy entered, but with opposite reasons…Heath, to become stronger to protect those around him…and Guy to be the greatest swordsman…But both fighters seemed to be motivated when Priscilla was nearby. Legault followed Heath which may seem like a jest, but his true reason appears is…well he is a thief, and thieves have a certain impulse when seeing long lines of people, all facing one direction and loose pockets and satchels... Wil automatically followed when Lady Lyndis decided to take part in the tournament… The triad of silence: Jaffar, Rath, and Raven just tagged along…these three are the very epitome of proverbs or "There are times when silence has the loudest voice", they're men of few words who prefer to act rather than talk. Geitz, Matthew, and Farina wanted to fill their wallets. No doubt, cravers of battle such as Bartre, Wallace, Dart, and Karel entered as well. Vaida, Oswin, and Marcus partook in the event to bring glory and honor to their respective countries… Erk didn't seem to mind the fact that he was the sole magician participating of our group. The more peaceful members (Dorcas, Eliwood, Florina, Rebecca, Harken, Kent, Fiora, Isadora, Louise, and Lowen) headed toward the Armories. Sain enrolled his name on the list to closely examine a certain something, no somethings…while fighting…to what that something is…I believe it speaks for itself…

"Yipee!" yelled Serra, "I'm gonna go to the arena and fight to!"

Several of us were worried, as nothing could bend her indestructible wall of a will. Fortunately, her will to flee when prone to violence was as equally strong.

Few minutes later, Serra came running into the vendor screaming, "That meanie! That big guy with an axe almost cut me in half!"

I purchased a few Flux tomes and a Nosferatu…several other non-magic related books held my attention as well.

Our guide then came and was kind enough to lead us to the arena. The coliseum was full of young swordsmen out to prove their worth, as well as several seasoned veteran warriors who wished to test their skills. Occasionally, there would be a magician or two memorizing chants while waiting in line. Also there were several bandits and pirates, fierce and wearing the scars of many battles, entering… Wait…bandits and pirates?

I asked our guide, "Don't people feel uncomfortable with these pirates and bandits around them?"

"Not really," he explained, "The brigands are not here to pillage or steal, they're only here to fight, and that's exactly what the spectators want to watch…"

Our guide led us to our seats in the audience … My seat was adjacent to Lord Pent's and Dorcas's. It was a medium-priced seat where we could hear what the combatants were saying, and could watch all the action.

The current battle was Vaida V.S. Drayne the Sage.

Drayne…I had heard of him, before. He was a drifting mage of Etruria. Vaida's Umbriel flew high into the air. Grasping her spear, Vaida lunged at her foe. Drayne remained calm, began chanting the incantations, and formed a whirling tempest… I believe the spell was known as Fimbulvetr? It is known to be the most formidable water-elemental spell known to men and dragon alike (although the latter are incapable of casting them, well I suppose)…it's also believed to be one of the most fearsome spells of nature, second only to Excalibur. Vaida was fast, but the hurricane was faster… The gale struck Umbriel and froze both the wyvern and the rider. Badly wounded, Vaida and her dragon crashed to the ground.

"Damn…ME, GIVE UP? HAH! I'D NEV-" yelled Vaida (despite being gravely injured) so loudly that everyone could hear. It was not difficult to perceive that sound, as her piercing banshee scream echoed throughout the stadium.

Apparently the referee only understood the part where she had said "give up", thus he declared Drayne the winner and the merciless wyvern-rider was carried away.

"Vaida…she put up a good fight…," said Pent, "But she is no match against a magician of Etruria…"

"Hmm…she should be thankful, she would have died if she didn't forfeit… So that's this Vaida I've been looking for… Hmph…I expected more," muttered Dorcas. Vaida and Dorcas were often assigned to fight alongside on numerous occasions. It's an interesting stratagem, Vaida would attack from the sky and strike fear in her foes, while Dorcas would charge and hew at them with his axe…the tactic itself is quite effective, but… It's quite amusing actually, according to Erk, whenever Vaida was here, Dorcas was there and visa-versa… This is probably the first or second time that Dorcas laid his eyes upon Vaida.

The next match was Raven the condottiere against a paladin named Turnus.

The paladin gave out a hearty laugh and threw a javelin at Raven.

Raven lifted his shield to block the flying lance, and then he threw his shield high into the air.

The sudden movement of the shield was so abrupt, that Turnus froze in place, out of astonishment.

"That seems to be quite an effective diversion technique…," noted Dorcas.

While Turnus was distracted, Raven charged at Turnus and impaled his horse with his longsword right after catching his shield. The blade pierced the horse's skin like a hot knife through butter. Blood gushed out, and drenched the blade as Raven extracted his weapon. The stallion whinnied as it fell to the floor, it began struggling against the dragging forces of death, but then it lay motionless…never to move again.

"Ah…the Longsword…," observed Pent, "I believe its called the Zanbato in Sacae? A long, curved blade meant for slaying the horse and rider in one swing… Thus making it an effective anti-cavalry weapon…"

Turnus became enraged and yelled in a booming voice, "HOW DARE YOU KILL MY MISSY!"

Turnus unsheathed a Steel Blade and charged Raven.

"Heh!" sneered Raven as he ran his blade through his foe, "You're a paladin… Without your mount, you're nothing…"

"Not even a nothing…," said Raven as he removed his sword from the carcass, "You should be glad, you're reunited with your beloved Missy…"

The battle was over as Raven slowly walked away from the corpse and collected his winnings…

"Ah…just two thrusts…and it's over…," I noted, "An unquenchable lust for more power, implacable rage, and a longing for revenge can lead to so much might…"

"His blade…it has many similarities to its wielder. It's as scarlet as his hair…it's also as tainted as his heart," said Pent.

The next round was about to begin…

A collector walked down the aisle yelling, "Place your bets! Place your bets! Bartre V.S. Karla!"

I examined my wallet, "Bartre is fighting now, eh? Ah, I seem to be running a little low on money lately… I shall place my bet on Bartre."

"Eight-Hundred and Ninety gold! Is that fine with ya?" asked the collector.

"Why not?" I asked as I handed him a pouch containing the desired amount of coins.

"Heh heh!" laughed the collector as he walked away, "You must be new around here! Thanks for the money, 'cuz you'll surely lose!"

"He is too overconfident…there must be something to back that up…," Pent noted.

"That Karla he's fighting must be a formidable foe," remarked Dorcas.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Are you ready for the next battle! Bring our combatants! Will a new legend be born today? From the Blue Corner, we have the wild axman who hews all that stands in his way, Bartre the Brave!"

The crowd cheered as Bartre arrogantly strolled down the passageway and emerged from the large gate with the blue outline…

"Now from the Red Corner, I know you've been waiting for this, folks! Our undefeated Grand Champion who has fought Nine-Hundred and Ninety-Nine Battles and won them all! Will she tidy up to her One-Thousandth Win? There's only one way to find out! I introduce to you the Rose of Battle, the Elegant Swordswoman, the Gladiator Queen, the Coliseum Conqueror, the Sword of Swords, the Arena Assailant, Eternal Victor, the Battle Goddess, the Taciturn Killer, the Drifting Wanderer, the Lethal Beauty, the Preying Falcon, and now her official title, KARLA, THE PRINCESS OF SWORDS!!!"

I became worried, "That is a significantly long…and draggingly wearisome introduction…hers was approximately five times longer than his…"

"I would not be surprised if anyone fell asleep while hearing it…," muttered Dorcas with closed eyes.

"Nine-Hundred Ninety-Nine wins, no losses, eh? And with all those aliases…," said Pent, "That Karla must be a formidable opponent."

"Only 999 wins?" sneered a man sitting near us, "That's only how many times she wom in **this** arena, she has fought at least 10 times of how much she fought here. Karla appears at tournaments like these and slices through her foes with ease. Then she just disappears, but she comes back once in a while. From what I've heard, she's looking for a man from her past. Some rumors say that she's the brother of the Sword Demon. Sword Demon V.S. Princess of Swords? Now that is a battle worth watching…"

Ah! This seems to ring a bell… Bartre had mentioned losing to a "wench" that he referred to as "Ka", before changing his mind and deciding not to reveal the sole combatant who had defeated him. This Karla must be the one who emerged victor in their battle and no doubt whom Bartre holds a grudge upon…

A female swordmaster emerged from the gate with the crimson outline… The crowd let out such an uproar that the whole stadium appeared to shake. When I listened carefully, I realized that they were rooting for the swordmaster. I admit that she was quite beautiful.

Bartre gasped as if he had seen his worst enemy…and with a countenance filled with wrath and fury, he yelled "You! Wench!"

The swordmaster stonily reared her head and faced her opponent, "Hm?"

"Meeting me here will be your doom!" Bartre yelled…his face revealed that he wanted to cut her down this instant, but was attempting to restrain himself to keep his honor, "I must erase the shame I met on the Western Isles! Come! We duel!"

"Hmm…," said Dorcas, "Bartre's expanse of vocabulary has significantly increased."

"I heard that you're tutoring him, Son of Niime?" asked Pent.

"Y-Yes...," I answered.

Karla thought for a moment then answered, "...Oh, I remember you. You're the guy who came out of nowhere and challenged me...The one I knocked out with my first sword stroke."

"The Bartre before you is not the same one you faced then!" he boasted, "I will have my revenge for the Isles here in Ostia! Now, dig up some courage, and do your worst!

"Well…at least he's a little smarter than the Bartre he knew then…but his arrogance is obviously unchanged," muttered Dorcas.

"Hmmm...I did not come here looking for a fight," revealed Karla, "But how can I refuse you your revenge? Let us begin."

"That's strange," I admitted, "If she isn't looking for a fight, what's she doing in the arena?"

"Probably to look for that person," said the man who had spoke earlier.

After their talk was over, they began their clash…

Karla rapidly withdrew her blade, and in a flash she was gone. Then she began running circles around Bartre. She move with such extreme speed that I could only see afterimages of her, here and there… It appeared as if five Karlas were encircling her foe, soon it appeared as it Bartre was surrounded by a tornado. The crowd cheered very loudly.

Bartre smiled and readied his bow, "Hah! You won't fool me! I've been focusing on the real one the whole time!"

Bartre aimed and his arrow. The arrow whizzed by with unbelievable accuracy toward the Karla whirlwind, it narrowly missed the real Karla's head by a few inches…yet Karla still remained cool, calm, and collected.

"When did Bartre become so accurate?" asked Dorcas, "I was the first to know him in our army, and he was a rather inept fool who often missed…now he has such frightening precision…"

"That Secret Book tied to his belt may be the answer," noted Pent.

Suddenly Karla vanished…

"You think I can't find you? You're above me! How I know? The flowing of your long gray hair shows me the direction you're moving!" yelled Bartre as he shot an arrow into the air.

It was true, Karla moved so quickly that the end of her hair was facing the opposite direction in which she took. Since her hair faced neither left nor right as she disappeared, Bartre had logically assumed that she had leapt into the air.

"Bartre has grown quite perceptive as well…the Secret Book can work wonders…," Pent observed.

Karla managed to parry the shaft, even in the air.

Then she lunged toward Bartre with a sword-plant…who blocked the blow by pulling out his axe.

For a split-second, an expression of shock appeared on her face, then she restored her placid visage that we had seen so much of, "Oh...It seems you've improved some."

Bartre began twirling his axe, "Quiet! We've only just started. Continue!"

Karla asked, "So tell me, where have you been training?"

Bartre bragged, "I serve Lord Eliwood now. I'm working as a guard for him! Tough opponents every day, but we just tear 'em up and cast 'em aside!"

Karla smiled as she sheathed her blade, "Ha...That's interesting. If that's the case, I think I'll join you."

Now, it was Bartre who had an expression of shock, "What?"

Karla explained, "My brother gravitates toward strong warriors...This journey of yours sounds like a dangerous one. Joining you might help me find him sooner."

Bartre disagreed, "I don't know what you mean! What about our duel?!"

Karla assured him, "We'll put it on hold. Don't worry. I won't run away. I like you. It would a waste to kill you here. Someday I'll finish you in an appropriate fashion!"

Bartre thought for a moment and said, "Hmm... OK! Agreed! You're now my sworn enemy, wench!"

Then Karla walked back toward the gate in which she had entered. The whole crowd made a real uproar, but stopped when Karla threw her blade at one of the spectators and said, "My goal is more important than winning battles…"

The collector handed me the coins with a discontented look on his face, "Grr… You win this time."

Few hours later, Karla was seen walking toward the seats and pulling out her blade, which no one had dared to touch.

Bartre won all of his other battles and came back with a staggering amount of gold, but he gave me half of the pile saying, "I owed you one."

After the final battle, in Castle Pherae, where we parted ways…

After saying farewell to Pent, Nino, and a few of my friends (I admit I did not have many as I spent my time reading tomes rather than interacting) I left for my home in Illia when I heard a voice, "Canas!"

"So you finally know my name Bartre," I responded as I turned around, "Care to tell me where you're going?"

"I'm not sure actually," admitted Bartre, "But I decided, that just like you, I'll be a wanderer!"

A wanderer?

"Do you remember that one book you gave me? The Warrior's Path? It well, opened my eyes…it showed me that there was more to life than just fighting… It also taught me that a fighter should not just fight for the pleasure, but for other reasons as well. You're on a journey for knowledge, right?"

"Yes," I said.

"Well, the main goal of this wandering is to fight, but the second reason is that I want to know what the world has for me. I want to know the reason of my existence, is it to fight, to help? I don't know! But, I believe this journey will assist me in this decision, I'll never forget you magic man…you've been a great help… Here, I'm not sure if its an equal exchange, but I think it will do."

Bartre threw a large axe at me, which I was able to barely catch. Without my training with him, my weak physique would have given in to its weight, "This axe is very important to me, don't worry I can buy another one. This axe is so close to me, it's like another part of my body. But, I want you to keep it, so you can remember me…"

"Bartre…thank you…," was the only response I could give him in return.

Ah… the memories…

The nomads had graciously provided us shelter for the night… I was silently reading in my tent.

"Hey, Cary!" yelled Hugh… It seemed that he has made some friends…as he was accompanied by four nomads… Kaspar was one of them. It was proven that Kaspar had in fact taken a walk…in shame…the inability for Sacaens to lie never ceases to amaze me…

"These guys and I are gonna get some booze. You want to come with us?" asked Hugh.

"I'd rather not," I uneasily answered, "I possess low tolerance for alcohol…"

"Yeah, whatever…," snorted Hugh.

"How 'bout you Sue?" asked Kaspar.

Sue who happened to be nearby answered, "Absolutely not. Drinking is a vice…"

"Come on!" yelled another nomad.

"Well, I guess one drink will not hurt…," acknowledged Sue.

"Hey Shin, you wanna come along?" asked Hugh.

Shin ignored him…

As the merry band left…I slowly drifted to sleep…

Few hours later,

"Wake up, please!" said a voice.

I groaned as I aroused to see…Sue who was laying sprawled on the floor with her hands at my feet.

"Please I beseech you, you are the only one capable…," she begged.

"Only one capable of what?" I asked frantically.

"Canas, you are the only one capable of resurrecting my father!" was the reply.


	7. Arrows of the Past

Ch. 7: Arrows of the Past

I looked around; there was no one in sight… The pale moon gleamed with all her grandeur. The lush grassland had the very appearance of a verdant sea…with the calm zephyrs forming waves. The stars…I had never before seen them as clearly as now…

"You should know… Kutolahn tradition say that Father Sky and Mother Earth are the source of all life… The soul comes from the heavens, and the body comes from the soil. When we die, our body once again becomes a part of the earth, and our souls are reunited with our father, the divine entity," Sue pointed to the sky, "My father is up there, watching me…likely lamenting the fact that he cannot be part of the Kutolah renaissance…and cannot help us any further…but also showing pride in how far we've come…"

_**The**__ Rath? Lamenting?! Showing sadness would be the last emotion I would expect Rath to show…along with happiness, fear, curiosity, surprise, disgust…must I continue the list…?_

"This is the battlefield in which the battle of the Kutolahs against the Djute and Bern took place," replied Sue, "with your abilities, you can temporarily resurrect my father, can you not?"

"You are aware that it is highly unlikely that this will be successful, correct?" I reminded her.

"But even unlikely is a possibility," remarked Sue, "once this séance is completed and successful, I will not inform anyone of this and I will also grant you the 'item' I promised you earlier..."

_Sigh, I can't believe I was cajoled by this nomad… But, the allure of that "item" is too much for me…_

"Remind me…how did you figure out my true identity again?" I asked.

Sue pointed to my satchel…and said, "Gespenst… Canas, you are the only mage who possesses the sole copy of this book."

_Ah…so that's how…wait…I concealed that book between…she went through my possessions?! _

"As to why I went through your belongings, I wanted to borrow a…vulnerary…," explained Sue.

"Vulnerary…right…," I muttered…she was dubious, but there was no point in pursuing the matter…"First, allow me to do some reconnaissance…," I removed my monocle.

"Reconnaissance?" Sue asked.

"It would be unpleasant if there are any eavesdroppers or observers around…" I opened one of my books that was titled _Elder Clairvoyance._

"Elder Clairvoyance?" asked Sue "Clairvoyance…as in…fortunetelling?"

"You may find it a little…different than your Sacaen mumbo jumbo…," I began to chant, "Seleyna Nahtreh Trafese Mateldna Seyenym Dinuora Etingi Wodahs Foelcri Kacalba, Scry!"

Suddenly black flames ignited and flickered around my right eye.

"Canas, your eye!" exclaimed Sue with a gasp.

"Do not worry. I assure you it's not the least bit painful…," I reassured her as I looked around, "This otherworldly flame exists in a dimension parallel to ours…it can be considered as a…sight-enhancing enchantment. Hmm…there doesn't seem to be anyone around… There seems to be houses around fourteen to sixteen kilometers away from here… But they seem uninhabited… This is the perfect setting… However, it would be rather unkind of me to not warn you again that…this summoning trick of mine is no different than pulling an apple out of a barrel full of pears. It isn't absolute that your father will be the one brought forth from the underworld. As this area was formerly a battlefield in the war against Bern, it significantly decreases the probability of summoning a certain person."

"Still, I am not willing to give up…please proceed with the seance."

"Very well, then…," I extracted the scroll from my satchel and began to chant, "Delliflu Febilli Wisrede Enylha Traeruo Yceno Tihfira Eppasi Dilliwu Oyhague Hetlae Dilliflufe Benacrono Hafodee Niruoyta Hatos Nevae Hegnipa Casesuh Tecalpyl Drawshtota Kacabe Mocelt Tabefoel Dedime Hetinella Fesahoh Wecitsu Jeforoirraw, Summon!"

A rune formed on the earth, and the pillar of light shot up into the sky…then it dissipated, only leaving behind…a nomad.

"No, that isn't him," said Sue, "Canas, if you summon the wrong person, how do you…dispose…of it…"

"Well, Miss Sue," I explained, "These phantoms are composed of ectoplasm, which you can consider to be a mass of life energy…the substance that forms the spirit… This spell summons this ectoplasm bonds and them together with enough cohesion and sentience to form a ghastly image of the soul being summoned… However, the spiritual bonds are not that sturdy, thus…," I quickly jabbed at the phantom with my index finger…the ghost burst into swirls of energy and dissipated, "A mere touch is enough for the bonds to become loose, leading them to fall apart…"

"I see, please summon the next soul, and pray that it is my father's…," said Sue.

"Very well," I answered, "Delliflu Febilli…"

I summoned another specter…The next spirit was…a woman, who was obviously not Rath (well, at least I hope so…not that it matters to me), and this time, it was Sue who dispersed her.

The third spirit wasn't Rath either…despite the fact that the spectral light obscured his features, he appeared to be but a youth not a day over seventeen…

"Lunfe?! Is that you?!" exclaimed Sue.

The spirit turned and spoke in an inhuman-sounding voice [Sue… It seems that you have survived…[ said the phantom [You're quite lucky aren't you… Most of us…weren't so fortunate were we?[

"Lunfe…I…," before she could finish…

A stone burst forth from his chest and a small hole formed… The fissure in the spirit particles gradually began increasing in size… Sue, with a look of horror on her face, stretched out her hand but "Lunfe" had evanesced and completely faded away into nothingness… Sue turned around to see a reading me.

"You!" Sue exclaimed, "W-Why did you do that?"

"What do you mean?" I asked without looking up.

"You threw that stone at Lunfe from behind, didn't you?" Sue accused me, "There is no way a rock would suddenly come out of a spirit for no reason! Unlike the previous two, I actually recognized him…he was a friend of mine…"

"Sorry to break up your little reunion, but… He wasn't Rath, and isn't our purpose to find your father?" I replied while putting my book away, "Besides, the number of summons I can cast a day is…how should I put this…limited…"

"Are you only capable of three summons a day?" asked Sue, "And why did you not inform me about this earlier…?"

"Not quite… Let me put it this way," I answered, "In actuality, there are no boundaries to the number of times it is cast…but it does have…a…great…toll…on my body… Ah…it…seems to…be taking…effect…"

I was forced to lean on my Heal staff for support; _Ninian's dances would be quite helpful right now…I could use a little invigoration…_

"I understand your condition…but please continue…," said Sue.

_The longing to see her father has grown into an obsession… Sigh…_

"Frankly, this whole séance seems pointless in my opinion," I responded, "Rath may be ali…"

"You want to know about Rath, huh? I could tell you, but I wonder if you're worthy of that info," said a voice from behind us…

I leapt back in surprise…two figures had approached us… They both wore long cloaks with hoods that veiled their faces. The one that spoke d a long blade with a curved edge strapped to his waist; the other carried a sword as well (though shorter in length), and a bow and quiver of arrows could be seen on his back.

_Impossible! With my scrying__ eye, I could have easily detected two human auras...unless they concealed them…but how…?_

"If you're wondering how we snuck up on you… We…never mind," he shook his head, "…what good would it do you to know…"

_I swore I heard that somewhat high-pitched, cocky voice before…_

"You know about my father, don't you? Where is he?!" demanded Sue.

"Like I said, I know his whereabouts…," said the first of our mysterious guests, "But I find no point in telling you…"

Sue strung her bow, "Then I must force it out of you!"

"Are you sure you want to trust them?" I warned her, "I am rather skeptic toward them… Those cloaked men seem rather dubious if you ask me…"

The hooded man brandished his sword, "Well then, come! Show me your strength! But I'll give you a head start. I'll make no attempt to dodge your first attack."

Sue fired an arrow…she _must have inherited marksman skills from her father as well_…

Before it reached its target, the arrow snapped in half and fell in front of the hooded man's feet harmlessly…

"Heh…is that all you got?" asked the enigmatic man.

"How can this be?!" exclaimed Sue, "He didn't even move!"

"Oh yes, he did…," I explained to her…, "That man cut the arrow before it could reach him… It's just that he moved so quickly that movement wasn't perceptible… Sue, your opponent may be more formidable that you believe him to be…"

"Heh, you could see that?" asked the swordsman.

"You may have hidden your aura before, but…," I pointed to my dark-flaming eye, "Once you have been marked by this spell, detection is inescapable…"

"Yeah? Then detect this!" the swordsman charged at me and swung his blade in a wide arc, but I managed to block the blow just in time with my staff.

"Wait…oops I forgot…my bad…that summoning spell sapped your strength…," he sheathed his blade, "I've no interest in fighting those in a weakened state."

Sue had taken this opportunity to fire another arrow…this time at point blank range.

"So that's how it is… You play dirty don't you?" said the swordsman, but he smiled as the arrow stopped in mid-flight and fell to the floor in two pieces.

The other hooded man, the one who hadn't spoken yet, had shot another arrow which was able to knock Sue's projectile off its course…

_What skill…he was able to split a fired arrow…such frightening precision…Who are these people?_

"Heh! You're not bad!" yelled the swordsman, "Yet, you're still not good enough to challenge the Saint of Swords the First!"

"You're Karel?!" asked Sue, "The legendary…"

"No, did you not hear me?" said the stranger with a tone of irritation in his voice "I said **Saint of Swords the First**, it is a former title….it was abdicated when I lost to that Karel…"

The stranger removed his hood…

"Y-You!" I exclaimed…it _couldn't be! But I though that he had died!_

"Canas, it's been a while….," said the stranger.

"Canas, is he one of your acquaintances?" asked Sue

"Yes…that Guy just happens to be someone I know…" I answered.


End file.
